Community Columnist: Celebrating Valentine's Day with someone special

The 14th of February has always been a special day in my life because I still have my mother, who is 82-years old and still very active in the mind to tell me what I am doing right or especially what I am doing wrong.

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By Bill Shrum, bshrum@stuttgartdailyleader.com

Stuttgart Daily Leader - Stuttgart, AR

By Bill Shrum, bshrum@stuttgartdailyleader.com

Posted Feb. 14, 2013 at 9:54 AM
Updated Feb 14, 2013 at 10:01 AM

By Bill Shrum, bshrum@stuttgartdailyleader.com

Posted Feb. 14, 2013 at 9:54 AM
Updated Feb 14, 2013 at 10:01 AM

Stuttgart

This is the day for all of the people who are in love or have someone special in their life. The 14th of February has always been a special day in my life because I still have my mother, who is 82-years old and still very active in the mind to tell me what I am doing right or especially what I am doing wrong. She is still living in the home she and Dad bought in 1962. Everyone should be as blessed as I am.

In our home Valentine's Day was a special day. My brother and I always gave our mother a Valentine, a store bought one or one that we made from a piece of red construction paper with a white border for the heart. I think my mother liked those handmade ones better than the bought ones. She took everyone of them though and told us how thoughtful we were of thinking about her.

A Valentine is someone who you dearly love and I have several Valentines. They could be a special friend, which I have several, I know I'm different because I am BILL. My Valentine card list is my mother is No. 1, my niece is No. 2, my first girlfriend is No. 3, Mom No. 2 is Valentine No. 4 and my Valentine Number 5 is my Aunt Margret. I always give them Valentine cards and I have been known to give them candy. I love to do that. That's what makes it special.

Valentine's Day is not a legal holiday, but a day for some of the businesses to make a little money on people sending their Valentine some goodies. It has turned into a billion dollar business and everyone knows it, but it is still nice to shower your loved ones with that kind of love. It only comes around once a year and besides you don't have a Valentine for long, but I do.

Valentine's Day is also one of those holidays you can take your wife or girlfriend out and everyone else is doing the same thing. Whatever you do, top the evening off with a rose; ladies love roses and a rose is a symbol of love and tranquility. Besides a rose is very beautiful with those long stems.

In my days of school, there was always a Valentine Dance, but they don't have them anymore. There are a number of things that are not observed any more. That is a shame because dances like that weren't harming anyone. We dressed very nicely in what we called our "church clothes" and had a good time. We weren't usually gone but a couple of hours, the next day we had school.

A Valentine is something special and usually a good friend or a girlfriend in high school. I had my share of girlfriends in high school. I did enjoy going places with a special girl. I liked it; the guys always hooted and jeered at me. I just thought they were jealous. They were usually with a guy. I loved to get my female friends in high school a Valentine card.

Page 2 of 2 - Valentine's Day has history to it. Supposedly, St. Valentine fell in love with a lady, was captured for his religious beliefs and received letters and notes from her. That is what some historians say began the legend of St. Valentine and all of the love notes and cards that we are given today. Who knows, things like that can begin with a simple story or a story that is continuously handed down in history.

Of course, in the latter part of the 19th Century and the first part of the 20th Century, businessmen decided that they wanted to get into the act of making money on Valentine's Day. They did with the cards, candy, flowers, particularly roses and all kinds of gifts. That is what making money is all about and guess what? It works in many ways, the American way.